Seated motion is very important for the performance of any task and proper function of the body, as this motion is needed by the human being in action. The present invention uniquely supports and optimizes the management of three major groups of body components; a) the upper body; thoracic spine, chest, neck, head, and arms; b) the mid body; lumbar spine and abdominal area; and c) the lower body; buttock and legs and considering the most efficient alignment is the mid range of motion of the body in its relaxed posture sometimes referred to as the NASA Neutral Body Posture (NBP).
Considerable effort has been directed toward the development of chairs for enhancing the safety and comfort of seated humans. The present invention is titled "Seat and Lumbar Motion Chair, Assembly and Method". In this invention several paths of motion of the seat and lumbar support relative to the back support for both comfort and safety has been developed.
Therefore the seat assembly of the present invention will contain three uniquely linked supporting components for 1) the seat; 2) the back support; and 3) the lumbar support, with each of these components being movable in proportional relationships to each other and to the body causing such motion.
However, the need arises for motion control devices, shock absorption, special restraint systems, deformable seat pan, seat pans with pelvic cradle pockets, and deformable tracks to absorb the high loads all of which are needed to compliment and enhance, seat and lumbar motion performance, taking into consideration the needs presented as a result of this new seat and lumbar motion assemblies.
It is highly desirable, for example, in a vehicle to effect a controlled deceleration of substantially the entire mass of a passenger in several stages preferably at a rate which is lower than the deceleration rate of a vehicle, during a crash.
In addition to issues of safety, any seating assembly is desirably designed so as to be comfortable to sit in under normal conditions for prolonged periods of time. A highly effective seat assembly for enhancing comfort during prolonged seating is the assembly disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,249 in which the seat is mounted for movement along an upwardly concaved arcuate path. Such a path allows the user to continuously balance his or her posture while seated on the chair. The seating system of U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,249 restores mobility and eliminates deformation of the lumbar spine while seated doing task seating.
The pelvic tilt seat assembly of U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,249, however, is shown as incorporated into a seat assembly which has a torso support platform that is relatively stationary in its vertical position. Thus, when the seat moves along an arcuate path, the torso support will resist vertical torso displacement and gaps in the lumbar area caused by movement of the seat.
In addition the "Seat Assembly and Method" of my U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,252 is highly effective in eliminating lower body injury and reducing injury in general to the occupant of a vehicle during a frontal collision. In this patent and subsequent pending application continuation Ser. No. 08/119,713 of Sep. 9, 1993 provides a lumbar support which is slidable in a generally vertical orientation. It does not follow the fore and aft motion of the seat and is not pivoted to the rear of the seat. Hence, to remedy the shortcoming of this lumbar, the present invention is being applied for.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a seat assembly for any seating applications, which provides enhanced health, comfort and further, has enhanced safety.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a seat assembly for a vehicle which will increase the ability to control deceleration of the body of a person seated on the seat during a collision with the aid of a linked and movable seat and lumbar supports.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a seat assembly which will enhance safety in conjunction with and even when passive restraint devices are not employed and air bags or the like have not been installed in the vehicle.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for seating of individuals which is relatively simple to construct and yet provides substantially enhanced comfort and safety.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a safety seating assembly for a vehicle or the like which can be retrofitted to existing vehicle seat mounting structures.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a seat assembly which is durable, reliable in its operation, relatively low in maintenance, and suitable for use in a wide range of environments.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide components needed such as; control means, locking device, mounting means, seat pan safety net, seat pans with pelvic cradle pockets, restraining safety belts, deployment device, shock absorber means, and back support with selective adjustment provisions.
The seat assembly and method of the present invention have other objects and features of advantage which will become apparent from, and are set forth in more detail in, the accompanying drawing and description of the best mode of carrying out the invention.